{Release Day Blitz} THE INVITATION by Vi Keeland

Title: The Invitation

Author: Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 18, 2021

BLURB

The first time I met Hudson Rothschild was at a wedding. I’d received an unexpected invitation to one of the swankiest venues in the city. 

Hudson was a groomsman and quite possibly the most gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes on. He asked me to dance, and our chemistry was off the charts. 

I knew it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with him, considering the wedding I was at. But our connection was intense, and I was having a great time. 

Though the fun came to a screeching halt when Hudson figured out I wasn’t who I’d said I was. You see, that unexpected invitation I received? Well, it hadn’t actually been addressed to me—it was sent to my ex-roommate who’d bounced a check for two months’ rent and moved out in the middle of the night. I figured she owed me an expensive night out, but I guess, technically, I was crashing the wedding. 

Once caught, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. As I bolted for the door, I might’ve plucked a few bottles of expensive champagne off the tables I passed, all while the gorgeous, angry groomsman was hot on my tail. 

Outside, I jumped into a taxi. My heart ricocheted against my ribs as we drove down the block—but at least I’d escaped unscathed. 

Or so I thought. 

Until I realized I’d left my cell phone behind at the table. 

Take one guess who found it? 

This is the crazy story of how Hudson Rothschild and I met. But trust me, it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

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Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 18 January 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! I hope you had a somewhat relaxing weekend. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

I'm glad I gave this book a chance. Like I mentioned last week it is a lot different from the Lifetime tv show that was on a few years ago - from character descriptions to magic vs. magic ban to characters having different names... and no Aunt Wendy 😭 - but I really enjoyed the book once I got in my mind that show was its own separate entity. It's a quick read and it kept my interest the whole way through.

Currently Reading:

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

I devoured this series when I was younger. I couldn't read the books fast enough. But I've tried rereading it twice now and I'm just not feeling it. I mean it's like I know exactly what's going to happen and I can't focus on the book. Maybe it's a read-once-love-it-but-don't-reread kind of book for me. It happens sometimes. 

Next Read

Serpent's Kiss by Melissa de la Cruz

Now that I've gotten through the first book I'm eager to keep reading about the Beauchamps so I just put the second and third book on my kindle.

*** 

How do you feel about rereading a book? Can you enjoy a book once you know how it's going to end? Or are some books just better reading one time only?

I Can't Wait For... The Nature of Witches

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

This one sounds really interesting and I'm looking forward to reading it when it releases this summer...

The Nature of Witches

Standalone
by Rachel Griffin
YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
eBook, Hardcover, 362 pages
June 1, 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire

Blurb:

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves...before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Add to Goodreads

***

Will You Be Checking This Book Out? 

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish and Non-Bookish Goals for 2021

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish and Non-Bookish Goals for 2021

This week’s TTT is for resolutions/hopes, and goals for 2021 (bookish or not!). Most of my goals are non-bookish so I'll list my two bookish ones first...

1. Read for enjoyment and stop taking on books for reviews. (No more deadlines and pressure)

2. Read the books I actually own before buying more (Clear out my shelves to make room).

3. Drink More Water (I average about 32 ounces per day, I'd like to double it)

4. Get and Keep a New Job! (Most important since my last job as a caregiver ended when my grandmother passed away in December and I have no income currently)

5. Visit Josh (my long-distance boyfriend of 8 years, who lives in Nashville)

6. Decorate my walls & remember the moments (hang pictures of things/times I want to remember)

7. Try a new hobby (I want to learn to kayak this summer!)

8. Learn something new (I'd like to learn French)

9. Get my driver's license (Yes, I'm 28 and I have never gone through with actually getting my license)

10. Go to Michigan (Marquette, Michigan is one of my favorite places to visit and I haven't been there since 2016. I figure if I get my driver's license and can overcome my fear of the hilly roads there I can finally visit again)

***

What are some of your bookish or non-bookish goals for 2021?

Let me know in the comments or drop a link to your TTT!

Happy Reading Bookdragons!

-Taylor

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 11 January 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! I hope you had a somewhat relaxing weekend. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Crier's War by Nina Varela

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'm more looking forward to the second book to conclude the duology. I thought this one focused more on the rebellion and the sovereign and Crier's fiancé as opposed to the romance between Crier and Ayla. It was a little too slow burn (nearly non-existent) for me. And I want more of Storme and Junn... she seems ruthless but I'm intrigued.

Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell

I was nervous going into this one because it has just so-so reviews online and I don't see it ever on bookstagram but I was hooked right from the beginning. I liked the narrator of the audiobook and the story was quick and kept me interested the whole way through. If you like historical fantasy that almost has a steampunk feel to it this one is a good choice.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

I wasn't sure I was going to like this one when I first started listening to the audiobook but I ended up loving it as much as everyone said I would. It had vibes of Lord of the Flies (loosely) and The Handmaid's Tale and the narrator keeps you invested in the story. The ending is kind of sad but overall it's a great read for everyone looking for the type of YA book where girls knock down the patriarchy. 

Currently Reading:

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

I have watched the Lifetime series 3 times but I have never actually read the book. I know that the two are vastly different in certain ways but I'm hoping I can separate one from the other once I start this tonight.

Next Read

The Last Witness by Claire McFall

This is the next audiobook I'm borrowing from my library's Hoopla. It's been on my TBR for a while and it sounds really eerie and awesome. 

*** 

Have you had any 5 star reads so far this year? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 4 January 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! Happy New Year! I hope you're off to good reading so far this year. My reading goal this year is to read more books I actually own before buying more.

What I Read Last Week: 

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

I had planned to start 2021 with a different book but I'm trying to pack up my books to move and this one was on the top of my book cart. It was just an okay read. I liked the forest and I liked the fox but I loathed the main character (for no real reason that I could think of). It didn't stand out to me and I'm sure if you ask me a month from now I'll have forgotten entirely what the story was about. It's sad because I am obsessing over the cover. 

Currently Reading:

Crier's War by Nina Varela

I swear I tried to read this book once before and couldn't get into it but when I started reading it now it was clear that I have never attempted this one before. I'm enjoying it and about halfway through. I could do with a little less on how the government/rebellion is run and more on the development of Crier and Ayla's romance though. I feel it coming up and it's kind of thrown at you... not sure how well it will work on page. We'll see. 

Next Read

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

I've had a copy of this since it first came out and have heard really good things about it. Yet it falls into the pile of books I own apparently for no other reason but to take up shelf space. I think I'll give it a go next. 

*** 

What book was your first read of 2021?

Why Harper's Island Is The Best Mini-Series You've (Probably) Never Heard Of...

Allow me to let you in on an unusual New Year's Eve tradition of mine. For the past five or so years I've binge-watched all thirteen episodes of the horror/mystery mini-series Harper's Island. 

Never heard of it? That's okay, most people I mention it to can't remember its 2009 limited run on CBS. 

About Harper's Island:

Seven years after a series of murders claimed the lives of her mother and five others, Abby Mills returns to her hometown of Harper's Island to attend the wedding of her best friend, Henry Dunn, to heiress Trish Wellington. There's no happily ever after, though, as a serial killer begins picking off family members and friends one by one.

Bring yourself to this picturesque island if you dare... where secrets abound and the killer could be anyone... even the person laying right beside you. 

With a widely recognizable cast who blend together so well the viewer is hooked immediately onto the show as the guests wait on a yacht for all the stragglers to arrive before setting sail to Harper's Island, a fictional island off the coast of Seattle. But this is no quaint sitcom, which is abundantly clear when the first murder occurs in the first 10-15 minutes of the show. And we're off. 

While there are humorous moments in the first few episodes while the gruesome murders are taking place out of sight in the background the audience is well aware of the full picture... except for one thing. Who is the killer? The killer, never shown in full face until later could be anyone and as the audience guesses who and why - is it the original killer John Wakefield back from the dead? Or an insidious copy cat with an unclear motive - the characters soon begin to realize something is amiss as friends begin "disappearing" with weak explanations like heading back to the mainland for a hookup. Until all at once, it becomes clear that someone is targeting the wedding guests. Everyone is a suspect... trust no one... and watch your back.

As the cast begins to taper down viewers continue to try to figure out who the killer is. And bonus features reveal that even the cast didn't know who the killer was; only receiving each week's script a few days ahead of time and consuming it to see what would happen next. 

It's addictive, if gory, the first time you watch it yet it's the kind of show you could watch over and over again because the it never gets old (although I do try to limit myself to once a year - my New Year's Eve tradition. And the killer? Well I won't tell you who it is, but I can say that I didn't figure it out until the second to last episode - although I had a hunch. 

***

Do you remember this show? Wasn't it the best?